The invention concerns a rotatable and displaceable plate arrangement as a seating surface for physically handicapped people, with a rotary plate which is pivot-mounted on a bottom plate and guided by means of a displaceable plate provided in a sliding guideway of the oblong bottom plate for reciprocating movement between two end positions, the bottom plate being divided into several sections which are relatively foldable around axes running transverse to the longitudinal direction of said bottom plate.
Rotatable and displaceable seat arrangements of this species are known (DE-U-9113964). Here the prior-art bottom plate comprises a number of individual members, of which each is connected in a hinge-like arrangement to associated adjacent members by means of articulating pins extending over the full width of said bottom plate. As the displacement guideway is only located in the central area, two types of member must be manufactured and assembled. The result is a multi-member belt or band which is very flexible, can, for example, be rolled, and exhibits no stiffness or rigidity. However, as it adapts to any unevenness, the rotary plate cannot be displaced if the bottom plate is resting on an uneven, e.g. undulating surface. Aside from the high assembly costs, a further disadvantage lies in the fact that dirt and foreign matter can become lodged in the many articulating hinges between the members, rendering cleaning difficult. In the displacement end positions, the rotary plate cannot be secured against unwanted or accidental shift, a situation which is undesirable for handicapped persons who are standing or sitting on the rotary plate.